Groningen and Drenthe in particular are attracting large numbers of home-buyers
The provinces of Groningen and Drenthe are becoming more popular with residents of the area around Amsterdam and Rotterdam. Randstad residents are increasingly moving to Groningen and Drenthe, and also to Overijssel and Flevoland.
The trend is related to a saturated housing market in the Randstad, but the Coronavirus pandemic has actually increased interest in the North, with more and more people finding working from home becoming the norm.
The mortgage adviser De Hypotheker has made the discovery, having observed the number of mortgage applications in the province of Groningen increasing by 35 percent, and in Drenthe by 30 percent, in the last year. As reported by the GIC.
As a result of the sharply rising house prices and the scarce housing supply in the Randstad, it is becoming increasingly difficult to buy a home there (Ed: because the situation in Groningen is so different!).
De Hypotheker points to the differences in the average mortgage amount between Groningen and Utrecht: in 2020 this was 288,720 euros in Utrecht compared to 190,083 euros in Groningen.
With so many people spending more time at home, many home owners have a need for more outdoor space, a greener environment and more square meters. Commuting is also less of a barrier to buying a house in the region, now that working from home is expected to become easier even after the crisis.
Imagine the headlines when Friesland empties out into Zuid-Holland, though.
Image by Paul Brennan via Pixabay
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